Organismal Biology

• nervous system

  is responsible for receiving, processing, integrating, storing, retrieving, transmitting, and responding to information.
• reproduction is a biological process in which different organisms have the ability to produce another of their kind.
• asexual reproduction does not involve gametes or sex cells.
• budding organism is reproduced by forming an outgrowth or a "bud", from a parent's body. Example (hydra), tunicates
• fragmentation

  organism is produced from a detached body part of its parent. Example: starfish, flatworms
• vegetative reproduction

  plant part is used to reproduce another plant.
• spore formation

  this involves the production of spores, which are specialized asexual reproductive cells. Example: ferns
• sexual reproduction

  involves the union of gametes (sex cells) inside or outside the body of an organisms.
• the sperm and egg fuse to create a fertilized egg known as zygote, which will become the embryo.
• morphogenesis in man involves multiplication of cells.
• morphogenesis in plants involves increasing cell size.
• color display plants uses their physical characteristics to attract pollinators.
• some animals uses color display to attract mate. Example: peacock
• sexual selection

  wherein some male species compete with other males to copulate with females.
• development

  the series of progressive, non repetitive changes that occur during the life history of an organism.
• nutrition

  the process of providing or obtaining food necessary for health, survival, and growth of an organism.
• nutrients

  chemical substances found in every living thing on Earth.
• autotrophic

  they can manufacture their own nutrients.
• heterotrophic

  obtain their energy by digesting organic matter. Examples: animals, fungi, and some bacteria
• saprophytic

  organisms obtain their nutrients from dead organic matter. These organisms secrete digestive juices to their surroundings, which will be later absorbed through their body surface. (Saprophytes)
• parasitic

  an organism takes food from another organism. The organism that takes food is called a parasite, and the organism from where the food is taken is called host.
• ectoparasitism

  happens when the parasite is outside the body of the host. Example: fleas, head lice
• endoparasitism

  happens when the parasite is inside the body of the host. Example: hookworms, roundworms
• holozoic

  organisms that ingest solid or liquid food, it includes herbivores, carnivores, omnivores.
• cell membrane

  it is used by unicellular organisms for gas exchange. Gases directly pass through the cell membrane through diffusion.
• binary fission

  an organism splits into "two daughter" organisms.
• skin/body surface

  covered with thin and moist epithelial cells that allows oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange.
• gases can only cross the cell membrane when they are dissolved in an aqueous solution, and thus the surface shuold be moist.
• gills

  are convoluted outgrowths containing blood vessels covered by a thin layer of epithelial cells. They can be found either externally or internally.
• tracheal systems

  composed of series of respiratory tubes that carry the gases directly to the cells for gas exchange. Gases can enter or exit through the openings at the body surface called spiracles. Examples are insects.
• lungs

  one of the most complex respiratory organs of animals. These are ingrowths of the body wall that connect to the outside environment by a series of respiratory tubes and small openings.
• it starts with the diffusion of oxygen from the respiratory surface into the blood, which will be transport the oxygen to the cells of the different parts of the body.
• as oxygen diffuses into the cells, carbon dioxide is absorbed into the bloodstream, which will subsequently be released to the environment through the respiratory surface.
• in plants, gas exchange mainly occurs in the leaves/stomata, which are guarded by the two guard cells.
• outer bark or cork cells

  are impregnated with suberin, a waxy, waterproof substance that does not allow gases and water to pass through.
• woody stems and mature roots are perforated by nonsuberized pores called lenticels. Lenticels allow gases to diffuse in and out of the stem and root.
• circulatory systems

  important biological fluids to be transported around the organism, so that the organism can breathe, gain nutrition, and maintain its internal environment for survival.
• xylem

  transport water and nutrients from the roots to the different parts of the plant.
• phloem

  transports sugars and other metabolic products from the leaves to the rest of the plant.
• tracheid

  elongated cells in the xylem that help in the transport of the water and nutrients.